By a Thread

By a Thread is an aerial circus show featuring seven Australian acrobats and 30 metres of rope. The cast uses two industrial pulleys and heavy-duty sailing rope to create acrobatic and choreographed sequences that explore themes of trust, connection, and relationships.

The performance weaves together virtuosic acrobatics and intricate choreography, with moments of confusion, hilarity, romance, playfulness, fear, and friendship. The rope serves as a physical manifestation of trust, used as a metaphor for community and the dynamics of connecting with one another. Performers work 6 metres above the ground.

The ensemble has toured in Europe, Canada, and Asia. The show uses only one prop onstage — 30 metres of white cotton rope — with classic acrobatic techniques applied in expansive ways.

Director and company co-founder Charice Rust notes: "At the core of By a Thread is a desire to share with the audience the trust implicit in ensemble acrobatic work. Circus is a powerful art form because what you see before you is actually what is happening. When you see someone taking a risk by hanging upside down from a rope that is held up only by other people, there is no illusion or trick, that risk is real and the audience can feel that."

This is a one-night-only performance at BPAC.